Opening device



Feb. 20, 1923. 1,445,905,

A.'R. NEFF. OPENING DEVICE.

man nec. 2. 191s.

Patented l'eh. 2G, 19235.A

. taaie .ABNER R. NEFROF LCDN'GBEACH,r CilliIFQ-RNIA.

- ornnrne' envien.

Application led December 2, 1912. Serial No. 34l,991.

the invention to provide a device of this character whichV is simple, effective, and easily operated.

The present invention provides al device havingl a .cutter of the general type conimoii to can-openers; a key adapted to open cans, made vso that their tops peel or'pull 20 olf, such as vkey-cans; Aand a hook member adapted to remove metallicor Apaper caps from bottles." A feature of the invention is the provision of the above-mentioned open# ingr; devices inl a simple, neat, and'cenvenient structure. y,

The device is arranged so that it is folding orcollapsible, thereby making it neat and convenient to handle. T he construction of the device which renders it collapsible hook member for opening-bottles, and the key for openingy cans, to be folded into the handle ofthe device, so that they do not interfere in anyway with the operation of the cutter. When the device is in its openedout or unfolded condition either the key or the hook member can be used Vand can be easily and convenientlyl operated by the handle. i

The constructionv of the key, provided for removing or peeling off tops of `cans, isa particular feature `of the invention. key provided by the present invention Will grip and' hold the tab or projection, which extends from the top of a can. of the type adapted to open by the peeling or tearing o of the top, and is also 'very easily removed from the tab'or projection, and the cover of the can, at any time during the process of opening thecan or'after thetop is comp etely rolledonto the key. These features if the key arevv particularly imis a feature of the invention as it allows the portant as they `make it very effective-in 'its operation and particularly easy and conveiiient'to operate.

vFurther objects and features of my inveny tion and the means *by*l Which I effect or carry out these objects andvr features are eX- plained in the following' specification. Where inl Set forth a preferred form ofiny4 invention, throughout which reference is had to the accompaiiying;` drawingmin'Which- Figure l is a plan view of the device pro-- vided by the present invention showing it folded ;l kF ig. Q is a side elevation of the device' showing it.v opened out or unfolded; F ig. 3 is an enlarged View of the end portionrof the key; F ig. e is anenlarged section taken as indicated by linelm onFig. f i' 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed section taken as indicated by line 5-5Von F ig. '2;

F 6 is an enlarged detailed section similar to Figo showing' the` device in the folded position; F 7 4shows the inannerin which the bottle-opening device mayfbe used When openingl or removing the metallic cap from the neck of a bottle; 8 is -avievv showingthe manner in whieh'the device may be used tol remove a paper lcap from a bottle; Fig. 9 is a view'showiiip; the manner'in Which the key may be used in removing the top of avcan; Fig. 10 is a vieu7 showiingI a form in 'vvhich the key may be embodied; and Fig. ll is a side elevation of a'portioii of theV rod on which is formed the key and 'bottle opener, showing itremoved from the handle.

Throughout the drawings numeralr l0 designates the handle to i which is' rigidly 'connected the cutterbladell and to ivhicii is piifotal'l'v connected the rod l2 which forms both the key i3 andthe bottle opener 14C.

The handlek 10 may be designed, shaped, and v constructed in any suitable'manner, although 1t is preferred, for the sake of simplicity of construction and neatness,`th at it be a single strip of metal bent or' looped toI have a loopedportion l5 which formsa handv'grip While its end portion 16 connects to the' cut- 'ter blade ll. Due-tothe liiactthat various it willbe iindersteodthe't the 'invention is entitled Can opener, filed October 13, 191.9,

Serial No. 330,456. Thecutting blade 11 is n adapted to cut out the Vtops of metallic cans being provided with a cutting edge 1 7 and being arranged to co-operate with projections 1S and 19 which extend from the ends 16 of the strip of metal which forms the handle 10. rllhe cuttingblade 11 is preferably somewhat curved to conform with the curvature of the side wall of an average sized can and the blade is provided with ser-.- rations 2O on its inner side adjacent to the cutting edge 17,` as clearly shown in the drawings. The serrations 2O prevent the blade from slipping when it is being operated and cause it to more or less bite into the inet-al being cut. The projection 19, from vone of the ends 16 of the metal strip which forms the handle 10, is adapted to engage and grip the top `edge of' the side wall of a can while the cutter 1,1 is in operation, while the projection 18, from the other end 16, is adapted to prevent excessive curling' of the cut top of the can. 1t will be understood that the ends 16 and the cutting blade 11 may be connected together in `any suitable manner, for instance, rivets 21 may extend through the three members as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

rllhe rod 12, on which is 'formed the key 13 and the bottle opener 14, is pivotally connected at22 to the handle 10. .las will be seen from the drawings, 'the point oi pivotal connection 22, between the handle 10 and the rod 12,'is located between the rlooped portion y15, of the strip of metal which orms the handle 10, and the cnil portions 16 which connect to the cutter blade 11. The rod connects to indentations or in wardly bent portions 23 which are provided in the strip of metal near its end` portions 16. The rod 12 is carried between the in- Awardly bent portions 23, and the connection between the rod and the metal strip is made by projections 24e, extending troni opposite sides of 'the rod ,12 into holes 25 in the inwardly bent portions 23, as clearly shoiivn in Figs. 2, 5, and 6. As shown in the drawings the key 13 is comparatively long rela.- tive to the bottle-opener 111- and is therefore adapted to fold into the looped portion 15 which forms the hand grip, while the bottle opener. folds into. the smal-l looped portion 26 formed between the inwardly bent portions 23 and the end portions 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It will be readily understood how the key 13 and bottle-opener 1/1 de not. in any way. interfere with or malte inconvenient. the'nse ot. thel cutter. blade 11.

ln order that 'the rod 12 may be held in the position shown` in Fig. 1, indentations 39, of a curvature to fit'that oit the inwardly bent portions 23, are provided in the rod 12 transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof so that 'the inwardly bent portion 23 will engage them, as clearly shown. in Fig 6. Similarly shaped indentations 31 are provided in the rod 12 parallel with itS longitudinal axis so that the rod will be held in its out or unfolded position as shown in Fig. 2 when it is inoved to that position. T his manner of causing the rod 12 to be held either in the folded or unfolded position depends upon the resiliency or tendency for the inwardly curved portions 23 voi? Vthe handle 1() tov move or spring together. It will be readily understood that it the strip of metal which forms the handle 10 is somewhat resilient, and thel inwardly bent porgage the notches 30 and 31 inthe rod 12,

and will thereby eii'ectivelyhold the rod 12 in the desired positions. It will be under-A stood that the rod may. betnrned relative to the handle 10'by putting; surlicient pre.n

sure or force upon the end of the key to cause the inwardly bent portions 23 to be somewhat sprung apart while the rod is being' moved. This manner ot' causing` the rod 12 to be heldin the 'lolded or unfolded .position is l particularly effective, simple,

and inexpensive, as it requires. no complicated construction and-elinnnates the use of a separate resilient member. rEhe vin` dentations 30 and 31 are lpreferably 'formed in the rod 12 at the same 'time that the. pro.- jections 24 are formed,

rlhe bottle-opener 141- on the rod `12 is a flat portion or blade 'formed so as to, have a point 35 and so as to have sharaened edges 36. forni a hook. as clearly shown in Figs. 2,

-7 and 3. When it desired to remove the metal cap 40' from the neck 11 of a bottle, the device may be arranged in connection with the metal cap 410,50 that the lower edge 41-2 of the capV extends into theV notch 3T, clearly shown inFig. 7. When the device isv thus arranged in connection.k with the metal cap 10 it will be readily understood how upward movement of the deyif in. the direction indicated bythe arrow in 7, will. canse. lifting orreniovalof the A notch 37 in the blade ina res it cap from the neck of the bottle. W'hen the device is being used in this manner the end portions 16, of the strip of metal, engage the top of the metal cap 40 and form a pivot point for the device, while the looped portion 15 forms a convenient operating or moving the device.

When it is desired to remove the from a milk bottle or the like,r the bottle` opener 14 may be easily pushed through the paper cap so that the paper cap 43 may be easily pulled from the vbottle 44 when the hook engages the cap 43, as shown in F ig. 8L The point 35 and the sharpened vedges 36 make it particularly easy4 to push the bottle-opener through a paper cap. l/Vhen the device is being used in this manner the looped portion 15 of the metal strip forms an effective and convenient handle.

The key 13 is adapted to remove the top 50 of a can 5l, by engaging andlgripping the tab 52, which extends from one corner of the top 50, and then causing the top 50 tov be rolled onto the key by suitable rotation thereof. Cans adapted to be opened in this manner are in commen use and the tabs 52 which extend from the tops 50of such cansv are usually continuations of the sheet of metal which forms the top 50 and are readily received in the tapered slot 54 in the outer end of the key 13. The top 50 of the can may be easily removed by gripping'the tab 52 in the=r y `members with opposite inwardly-extending."

slot 54 and then rotating the key vso as to cause the top to be rolled onto the round body 13 thereof. The. slot 54 in the key l13 extends diametrically across the key and is tapered as clearly shown in the drawings. rlllie slot being tapered will engager a tab 52 and firmlyvpineh or grip it so as to-positively prevent its slipping out of ,or through the slot during the opening of the can. When the can is opened, and vit is desired to remove the key therefrom, the key may be very easily released from'the tab by movement of the key away from the tab 52 so that it will be no longer pinched or gripped in the slot.

Due to the fact that the outer portion of the key 13 is tapered as clearly shown in thedrawings, it is particularly easy to remove or withdraw the key from the top 50, of the can, even though the top has been tightly rolled upon the key during the opening of the can. The taper of the outer portion of the key 13 and the taper of the slot 54 are particular and important features of the invention as they makev the key particularly effective in its operation and very easily removed from the can after it has been opened, It will be readily understood from the drawings how the handle l0 provides a convenient and effective handle for the op handle forvpaper capv erationfof the key 1.3, thereby making the l key easily and conveniently operated.

In Fig. l0 is shown a form in which theJ f y key 13 may be advantageously embodied. As clearly shown in Fig. 10, the key andthe handleV are formed ,from a or rod of metal, preferably round in crosssection'one end of the rodbeing` looped to form the handle 70 While the other end is ate in thesame manner as the formlof key single strip provided with taperedfslots Z2so as to oper# embodied in the form shown in Fig. V10`is"k particularly easily operated, is neat, and very inexpensive to manufacture. 'l

Having described a preferred forni of the f invention, I do not Wish to limit myself tov j the specific details hereinabove set forth, but wish to reserve to myselfv any changes ory modifications that may appear Ato those vskilled in the art or fall within the scope of.'

the following claims, i

Having described a invention, I claim:

preferred form of my l l. In a device of the character described,` ay

key the-.outer portion of 'which is tapered and has in it a tapered slot, the key having inl it longitudinal and transverse indentations, projections extending from thek key,

and a handle pivotally carrying thel key so that it canbe'ffolded into'or made to` extend f from the handle, the'handle having "side portions adapted to engage either the longitudinal or transverse indentations in the keyf.

'two members, one of saidmembers'being. a

handle, the othermember having in it intersecting indentations, projections extending from the indentations, the handle member hav-ing side lparts with opposite inwardly extending portions having being arranged the handle with to pivotallyconnect the members,` said in# between the side parts of holes, said other member 1 Il() the projections in the holes i position, the inwardly-ex, l l

said other member at the .intersection of wardly` extending portions cooperatingvrvvith'y 'l the indentations to hold said other member.

in predetermined handlek member.

In AWitness k have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of November, 1919.

.positions relative to the Witness Viacinm Business.

thatI claim the foregoing I;

l' fiBNnn aunar. e j 

